A smart card is an electronic card containing memory and a processor, similar to a computer, for storing, processing, receiving, and transferring data. In addition to their compact size, smart cards are further desirable because they are tamper-resistant and employ a security model, allowing for sensitive and personal data to be securely carried and stored. They are thus frequently utilized for identification purposes, financial transactions, and security access applications. Other applications that require or may be enhanced by the secure handling and storage of data may also employ smart cards.
A smart card terminal is a device that accepts and reads the data contained on a smart card and thus accesses applications stored on the smart card. For example, use of a monetary smart card at a financial smart card terminal allows for money to be transferred to an account of a user of the smart card, and an identification smart card inserted in a smart card terminal located at a facility may provide access to the facility to a user of the identification smart card.
Presently, for a smart card containing one or more than one application, difficulties exist in the discovery of the smart card applications at the terminal. The terminal may not be aware of the interface provided by and the protocol used by the smart card applications. The discovery issues create difficulty in the production of applications on the terminal end. Additionally, the security model of a smart card is not enforced on the terminal. Thus a feature enforcing the security model of a smart card at the terminal, while further allowing the terminal to obtain relevant information necessary for running the applications of the smart card, is highly desirable. Further desirable enhancements to smart cards and smart card terminals include error and usage management control.